Sheet-feeding machine



L. A. RODEN SHEET FEEDING MACHINE Jan. 8, 1924.

Filed May 11, 1922 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 8, 1924. 1,480,012

| A. RODEN SHEET FEEDING MACHINE Filed May 11. 1922 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 8, 1924.

L. A..RODEN SHEET FEEDING MACHINE Filed May 11, 1922 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 Jan. 81, 1924.

A. RODEN SHEET FEEDING MACHINE 7 Sheets-Sheet 4.

'pild May 11. 1922 Jan. 8, 1924. 1,430,012

L. A. RODEN SHEET FEEDING mourns Filed May 11, 1922 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Jan. 8 1924.

L. A. RODEN SHEET FEEDING MACHINE Filed May 11. 1922 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Patented Jan. 8,- 1924.

UNITED s'l 'a'rssz PATENT-OFFICE.

LEON A. mm, or cmou, omo.

SHEET-FEEDING uacnmn.

Appm tion med lay 1-1,

To all wig/om it may concern:

Be it known that I, Lao zen of the United States,residing at (/anton,

in .the county of Stark and State of Ohio,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sheet-Feeding Machines, of which the following is a specification.-

My invention relates to improvements in sheet feeding machines, and is particularly designed and adapted for use in successively engaging and feeding sheet of plate material from a suitable source of supply such as a stack or pile into any desired machine or device for treating or operating upon such sheet-material.

The present embodimentof the invention is particularly designed and adapted for use in successively engaging and feeding metallic sheets or plates from a stack of such material on a platform or truck and of delivering such sheets or plates in proper position and condition to the rolls of an ordinary larly designed and adapted to the picking" up and transfer or feedin of metallic sheets 'or plates in roper con 1tion and position to the rolls oi an ordinary rolling mill, the parts being so arranged and disposed rela' tive to each other as to meet the varying exigencies of actual service nd reducing the liability to breakage or 'disarrangement of the parts to a minimum.

A still further and very important object is the provision of improved pneumatically operated sheet engaging and feeding grippers together with improved means of mounting carrying and operating such grippers in properly sequential relation as well as in properly timed relation to and in cooperation with the other parts of the improved machine.

A still further and important ObJGCt s A. RonnN a citi-' 1922. Serial No. 560,145.

the provision of improved sheet brushin smoothing and guiding mechanism adapted to successively receive and guide the sheets in position as received from the initial sheet engaging and carrying rollers and grippers: and to deliver the same to the mill rolls free and clear of any turned over corners or other obstacles and to feed the same tosuch rolls in pro er relation, special mechanism being provi ed to engage and strai hten ouflany such overturned corners or t e like in the sheet before deliver to such mill rol'ls.

There are other eaturesof the invention residing in elemental combinations and particular construction of parts, all as will hereinafter more fully appear.

With the above mentioned and other ends in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement an combination of parts, hereinafter descri illustrated in some .of its embodiments in the accompanying drawings and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, forming a part of this s ecification, Figure 1 is a side elevation o a sheet feeding machine constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2, afront or end elevation of the same from the sheet receiving or feeding end cf the machine.

Fig. 3, a central longitudinal sectional view of the same taken on line 33 of Fig. 4.

' Fig. i, a horizontal sectional view of the same taken on line M of Fig. 3. Fig. 5, a ver 'cai transverse sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig. 3.

I Fig. 6, a side elevation of the geared side or the improved machine. 4

Fig. 7, a detailed longitudinal sectional view of one of the pivoted reciprocatory sheet feeding arms detached from its respective cross head and sheet gripper carrying plunger.

Fig. 8, an enlarged top plan view of one of the reciprocatory cross heads or slides detached from the guide head therefor and the respective connected crank arm and reciprocatory sheet feeding arm. V Fig. 9, a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the same. a

. 10, an enlarged longitudinal sectional Fig. 12, a cross sectional view taken on K line 1212 oil Fig. 10 and illustratin in particular the valve mechanism thereo Fig. 13, an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the valved piston head detached.

Fig. 14, a traentary side elevation of one of the sheet T interceptingzdevices for throwing the recip rocatory sheet feeding arms out of operation.

Similar numeralsot reference designate like partsthroughout all the figures of the drawings. .i i

The frame the machine may be of any 9 suitable and convenient construction ant.

in" the present instance, comprises main check or supporting plates 1, provided at their front with upwardly extending supports or uprights 1, and at their rear with supplemental supports 1". The main cheelr plates or supports 1 are surmounted by standards 1, and the parts 1 to 1, inclusive, are adapted to term hearings or su ports for the various working parts of t e machine, as hereinafter referred to.

The sheetsgor plates 2, are adapted to be fed from a suitable pile or stack which may rest on a platte 3, in front of the machine or, if desired, may be fed from the usual truclrs drawn to' the same relative position in lieu oil the platform 3.

in either instance suitable guide pedestals 4, for holding the plates or sheets in stacked relation on the platform or truck are provided, said guide mbers being provided with suitable ide slots 4?, to receive and contain suitab e tollower and sheet guiding mechanism, hereinafter referred to, and the guide pedestals 4 being preferably hinged as at 4:, to adapt the same to be folded outwardly and horizontally to allow free access to the pile or staclr out sheets at the side when not in use,

As a means oi? successively engaging the sheets in the steel: on the platform or truck, asthe case may be, and then drawing or feeding the same forwardly into the daring guide members 5, leading to the pass between the initial sheet engaging rollers 6, a plurality of oscillatory feeding arms 7, are provided, said arms being arranged in transverse independent butsynchronous relation to each other and being adapted to have a horizontal bodily movement as oscillated or reciprocated by being pivotally connected to separate cross heads 8, mounted in suitable guideways 9, 11111 a cross bracket or bridge member 9.

eding arms engaging and ins ore The oscillatory sheet feeding arms are provided at their outer or free ends with guide or sleeve heads preferably made up of semi-cylindrical shaped members 10, provided with attaching lugs 10, adapts to be connected together by means of suitable fastening elements or bolts 10". The guide heads or members 10 are provided at either side with bearing lugs or trunnions 10 and 10 the upper trunnions 10 being adapted to rest in the bearings 7*, at the ends of the arms 7", of the main feeding arms 7 The ide heads 10 are provided with relativelfi movable tubular plunger members or stems 11, and at their tops with cover plates 11, carrying stem'members 11 the latter extending into the tubular members 11 and being provided with pistons 12, filling the tubular plungers 11, said pistons 12 having central openings 12, adapted to be opened and closed or controlled by suitable reciprccatory valves 12", normally seated on valve seats 12, as shown most clearly in Figs. 10 to 13, inclusive, of the drawings.

The tubular plungers 11 have a limited movement within the guide heads 10 during the active sheet engaging and teedin movements of the sheet feeding arms 7 an the sheet engaging grippers, as hereinafter referred to, and as a means of providing suitable resilient sheet engaging vacuum op erated grippers and the necessary vacuum chambers for cooperation with the valve mechanism referred to, the lower ends'of the plungers 11 are provided with heads 11, having central openings 11, said heads 11 being provided with suitable resilient sheet engaging grippers 13, said grippers 13, in the present instance, being in the specific form of vacuum creating cups, said gripper cups 13 affording chambers 13, communieating with a second vacuum creating chamberll", within the lower ends ot the tubular plungers 11 and immediately beneath the pistons 12.

As a means at limiting the outward movement of the plungers and grippers and holding the latter in a relatively fixed position when said grippers are not brought into impact relation to the sheets for the opening of the valves 12*" and the subsequent creation of a vacuum within the chambers 13? and 11, the upper ends of the plungers 11 are provided with stop flanges 11 and as a means of cushioning the inward movements of the lungers when the grippers are brought into sheet engaging relation to the sheets as well as forcibly returning such il tll ltltl lltl lid

plungers for the creation of a suction or extending between the shou ders 11' and the. lower edges of the guide heads 10.

As a means of keeping the guide heads 10 iltltl and the reciprocatory plungers 11 and grippers 13 in a constant vertical or common position irrespective of the varying positions of the oscillator feeding arms upon which the are carried and particularly as a means causing the lower edges or mouth portions of the gripper cups 13 to always assume a horizontal relation and contact with the uppermost sheet in the stack to be fed irrespective of the height of such stack, the forked ends or arms 7" are provided with relatively movable cross heads or segments 15, pivotally mounted on cross pins or bearing elements 16, said heads or segments being provided at one side with curved guide slots 15, adapted to ride on and be guided by cross pins 17, the inner pivoted portions of the segments 15 being also preferably provided with slots 15", riding on the cross pins 16.

One end of the cross heads 15 is provided I with a link 18, having split ends or arms 18,

engaging over the lower trunnions 10 and the opposite end is connected to the link by means of a bearing element 15. The opposite sides of the cross heads orv segments 15 are connected to links 19, throu h the medium of connecting bolts or bearing elements 19, and the links 19 extend rearwardly and are connected to bearing lugs 8, extending upwardly to the cross heads 8, by means of bolts or hearing elements 19". The reciprocatory cross heads 8 are preferably made in two parts, as shown most clearly in Figs. 8 and 9 of the drawings, bein connected transversely in interlocking re ation by means of transversely extending flanges 8, forming guide-ways or grooves for the respective flanges and as a means of reciprocating the cross heads 8 longitudinally in the guide-ways 9 thereby moving the feeding arms 7 bodily longitudinally to impart a feeding movement: to the sheets when engaged by the grippers 13, the cross heads 8 are provided with bearings 8, for the ends of connecting rods 20, the latter bein con nccted to cranks 21, of a transverse y extending crank shaft 21, the latter being mounted on bearing blocks 22, on the cheek plates 1.

As a means of elevating the feedin arms and the grippers carried thereby at 51c end of each sheet feeding impulse imparted thereto preparatory to moving such elements rearwardly and then dropping the ends and plunger-s and grippers down u on the sheet to be fed for a new sheet fee ing impulse, a plurality or series of levers 23, are pivot-i ally mounted at their rear ends to brackets 25, connected to the cross beam 25', carried by-the standards 1, said levers 23 being provided with rollers 23, adapted to ride upon and be moved by a series of ro erly arranged and timed cams 24,carr1 ed y a cam shaft 24.

The front or free ends of the levers 23 are provided with arms 23", engagin beneath pins 25, of vertically movable eads 26, carried upon the lower ends of vertically movable guide stems 26, the latter operating in heads .27, of forwardly extending brackets or arms 27, carried on the front edges ofthe cross beam 25.

The lower ends of he heads 26 are provided with loosely mounted links 28, extending'over the ends of-cross pins 7 near the base or pivoted portions of the arms 7. The loose arrangement ofthe links 28 relative to the cross pins 7 on the arms 7 and the relative arrangement of the cams 24 and cranks 21 are such that as each oscillatory feeding arm 7 with its connected plunger and sheet gri per 13 reaches the end of its respective s eet feeding or working impulse the respective overhanging head 26 with the connected link will be elevated and thereafter be moved forwardly in the uppermost position (see dotted line positions in Fig.' 30f. the drawings) after which the roller 23 'of the respective lever will ride off of the respective contacting, cam and allow the feeding arm and the attached gripper to descend by weight or gravity into contact with the uppermost sheet of the stack thereby through impact moving the plunger stem 11 against the resistance of a spring 14, and also causing the compressed air to open the valve 12 in the piston 12; then following such 0 enin of the valve and the ejection of air rom t e chambers 13 and 11 and the compression of the spring the reaction of the spring will cause the plunger 11 and attached resilient gripper cup to return to the original position, thereby creating partial vacuum in the chambers 13 and 11 through the initial closin of the valve 12 and serving to cause t e gripper to securely grasp the sheets through suction or pneumatic action and to retain such position until the end of its sheet feeding movement.

As a means of automatically actuating and adjustingthe flaring or rearwardly converging guide members 5 in accordance with and in respect to the up er edge of the pile of sheets bein fed (and from which it will be observed t at the sheets are always moved horizontally by the grippers 13), the rear ends of the guide members are provided with transverse supports 5, pivoted in brackets 5, at the front edges of'the front frame uprights 1, and as ameans of counterbalancing such guide members 5 and the follower actuating mechanism, as well as connecting the latter to such guides, the lower guide member is provided at its sides with cables 29, extending upwardl over pulleys 30, on brackets 30, said cabes extending downwardly and being connected to relatively fixed arms 31, (consisting in the present instance of two members which may head- I justed and connected relative to each other as at 31) said arms being pivoted as. a whole in brackets 32,, through the medium of suitable pivot elements 32, and being provided with counterbalances 33. The outer ends of the arms 31 are connected to cables 34, extending beneath pulleys 35, the latter, in the present instance, being secured beneath the platform members 3, said cables extending forwardly beneath second pulleys 36, and thence upwardly in the guide slots 4*, on the inner sides of the hinged guide 'pedestals4, and connected to guide or follower members 37, the latter being provided with arms Wield/endinginwardlyv toward each other and over the platform and being provided at theirinner ends with follower rollers 37, which latter are adapted to rest or impinge upon the uppermost sheet in the pills or stack to be fed. lit will be seen that the follower rollers 37 and followers 3? will adjust themselves to the height of the pile of sheets titlsheet guide members 5 into the pass between the frontset of sheet feeding rollers 6, the latter being mounted on roller shafts 6 lit will be seen that the rollers 6 consist of suitable spaced roller elements, and

as a means of guiding the central portions of the sheets in a common horizontal direction as received from the front rollers 6, suitable sheet guides 38, are mounted on transverse brackets 38 extending between the side supporting plates 1 of the machine and as shown most clearly in Figs. 3 and 5 of the drawings.

As a means of brushing and smoothing the sheets as feed rearwardly through the guides 38 and from the rollers 6 and par- Gil ticularly as a means of freeing and clearing such sheets of any overturned corners or other obstacles before being finally fed through the mill rolls, the improved machine is provided with a set of rollers 39, provided with a series of transversely extending wings 39 said wings having converging or pointed median portions 39*, and

having their oppositely extending portions diverging or inclined rearwardly from the direction of rotation so that as therollers 39 v are rotated the median portions 39", will engage the median portions or longitudinal centers of the sheets in advance of the'outnaeo oia wardly. inclined portions 39 and these rollers 39 being rotated at a greater speed than the sheet feeding rolls 6,, it will be obvious that any overturned corners at the front edges of a sheet being fed will be engaged from their inner overturned portions and turned or brushed outwardly to their original or straightened positions as fed forwardly. The rollers 39 are keyed upon the roller shafts 39, and as a means of further guiding the sheets the machine is provided with longitudinal guide strips '40, spaced apart at their fronts and extending rearwardly in converging relation, said guide strips 49 be ing secured on transverse bracket members 40, and as a means of centralizing the sheets being fed and preventing any lateral displacement, and particularly as a means of adjusting the sheet guiding means to sheets of varying widths, longitudinally extending guide members 41, having vertically extending flanges 41, are mounted at the rear of the winged rollers 39' upon oppositely threaded supporting and adjusting shafts 42, mounted in suitable bearings in the machine cheek plates 1, said oppositely threaded portions of the shafts 42 extending through threaded bearings 41", on the lower portions of the guides 41. As a means of simultaneously operating the threaded adjusting shafts 42 whereby the longitudinal guides 41 will'be uniforml moved towar and from each other an held" at all times in true parallel relation, the shafts 42 are provided at their ends at one side of the machine with sprocket wheels 42*, connected by means of a sprocket chain 42*, one of the shafts being provided with an adjusting or operating wheel 42.

As a means of positively preventing the passage of an overturned rear corners on the rear marginal edges of the Si" iets being fed and before passing into the'mill rolls, transversely extending hook shaped guides 43, are provided, said guides being provided at their sides with arms 43, and being pivotally connected on pivot elements 43", and as a means of moving the hooked members 43 toward and from each other in accordance with the thickness of the sheet being fed, the upper guide arms 43 are connected to vertically extending links 44, through the medium of pivots 44*, said vertical links 44 extending downwardly and being connected to second or horizontally extending links 45, the latter being connected to pivots 45 and extending forwardly and connected to vertically extending links 46, connected to the forward or free ends of the lower arms 43. The vertical links 44 are connected at their tops to levers 47, pivoted at 47, and ex= tending forwardly and carrying a follower roller 48. By reason of the construction and link connections above described, it will be obvious that the follower roller 48 restfed will adjust itself in accordance with the thickness of the sheet and correspondingly move the hook guides 43 toward or from each other to adjust themselves to the thickness of the sheet being fed.

The rear supporting frame members 1 are provided with. a final set of sheet feeding rollers49, mounted on roller shafts 49, said rollers 49 being adapted to direct and feed the front ends of the sheets in proper position and condition to the mill rolls immediately in front.

As a means of driving the parts hereinbefore referred to and also providing two speed gearing therefor (for the purpose hereinafter referred to) a motor 50, may be mounted at one side of the machine frame and be provided with a pinion 51", on the motor shaft 51, said pinion connecting with a gear 52, mounted as an idle gear on a bearing 52, extending from a. bearing boss 52*, on the side of .the frame plate 1. The gear 52 meshes with a second-gear 53,

mounted on a fixed hearing or spindle 53,

the latter extending from a slip orting boss 53, on the machine frame'mem er 1.

Above the second idler gear 53 and spaced some distance'therefrom is a gear 54, mounted on the crank shaft 21, the lattertrans mitting motion to a third idler gear 55,

mounted on a shaft 55, in a bearing block i 55, the gear-55 transmitting motion to a gear 56, on the cam shaft 24.

As a means of connecting the gears mentioned for a certain speed or of disconnecting such gears, or of connecting such gears for a greater speed, a pendant frame or bracket 57, is pivotally mounted at 57, from a bearing bracket 57", said bearing bracket 57 carrying at one corner a relatively small gear 58, and at the other with a relatively larger gear 59. 7

As a means of shifting the pendant bracket 57, and the gears 58 and 59 carried thereby, into and out of their respective engaging positions, as shown in full and dotted lines in Fig. 6 of the drawings, or into an intermediate neutral or out of gear position, the pendant or floating'bracket 57 is provided with a forwardly extending lever 60, arranged in cooperative relation to a ratchet segment or bracket 61, having notches V 61, 61 and 61 to receive a detent or pawl 60, spring resisted and operated by an auxiliary handle 60, in

the adjacent gear 56 on the crank shaft and if the lever 60 is moved to the inter mediate or neutral notch 61", the gear 58 is thrown out of mesh and a neutral posi-- tion is assumed and if the lever 60 is moved to the extreme lower or slower speed notch 61, the larger gear 59 is brought into. mesh withthe idler ear 53 and the gear 56, as shown by the dotted line position, thereby transmitting a relatively slower motion to the crank and cam shafts 21 and 24, respectively, and the various connections.

As a means of transmitting motion from the cam shaft 24 to the sheet engaging roller shafts 6 and 49* at the front and rear ends of the machine, respectively, and to the winged roller shaft 39 the cam shaft 24 is provided at one end with sprocket wheels 24 and 24, the inner sprocket wheels chain 62, leading over a s rocket wheel 39,

on the roller shaft 39, an the outer sprocket wheel 24 being provided with a sprocket chain 63, leading to a sprocket wheel 49 on the upper feed roller shaft 49. The upper roller shaft 39 is provided with a second sprocket wheel 39 having a sprocket chain 64, running over the sprocket wheel 6 on the upper sheet engagin roller shaft 6".

The shafts 6", 39 an 49 are provided with meshing gears 6, 39 and 49, respectively, so that these shafts run at the same rate of speed relative to the opposed roller element carried thereby.

In the drawings four oscillatory feeding arms 7 are shown in operation for feeding full width sheets and as a means of hanging up or throwing all of such arms out of operation, and particularly as a means of selectively hanging up and throwing out of operation the feeding arms at each side so that only the two centrally located arms will be permitted to operate for feeding relatively narrow sheets, a pair of slide bars '64, are

and provided with notches 68, whereby the levers and connected bars may be secured in their respective lever engaging and lever clearing positions, respectively, by means of the spring resisted detents 68?, in the usual manner.

Secured to each forwardly extending bracket 27 (see Fig. 14) is a laterally extendin bracket 69, provided with a bifurcated epending spring resisted latch or dog 70, the dog 70 having an inclined or be' lled head 70, affording a shoulder 70, at the rear, the head '70 bei adapted to coact with a relatively fixed inclined bracketor arm 71, the latter being provided with a coiled expansion spring 72, for normally holding the dog in closed position, as shown I in Fig. 14, within path of the adjacent lebracket 69, said arm/Z3 extending between lid at substantiall the arms or bifurcations of the latch and being provided at its lower end with a cross pin 73", which extends across and engages the arms of the dog (see Fig. 3) so that as one of the slide bars-6t moves the operating arm 73 to a position corresponding to that shown in Fig. it the dog 70 will be permitted to have an independent movement by the spring 72 and in cooperation with the lever 23. In thepresent instance, the front slide barstid and corresponding front lever 66 are adapted to operate the lever engaging latch and actuating mechanism immediately above the two outer feeding arms 7 and the rear slide bar fi l carries the rocker arms 73 controlling the two middle latches or dogs arranged above the paths of travel of the two middle levers 73 and by reason of this arrangement should it be desired to feed a relativel narrow sheet the front slide bar (it will e moved to permit the dogs 70 to take the position shown in'Fig. 1d and thus engage the two levers 23 and thereby hold up out of position the two outer feeding ar 7. When the narrower sheets are being fed and only the two middle feeding arms are in operation the floating pendant bracket 57 with the attached gears is moved to the position shown in Fig. 6 to ive approximatel double the speed as in its slow speed whic is used when all four arms are operating, it bei obvious that when such.

four arms are operating the sheet will befed the same speed with half of the speed c the machine.

Having thus described one of the embodiments of my invention without having atpted to set forth all the forms in which it may be made, or all the modes of its use, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-

1. In a sheet feeding machine, a plurality of pneumatically operated tubular plungers carrying sheet'engaging and feeding grip-.

per cups, and valves opened and closed by the inward and outward'movements of said plungcrs and grippercups.

2. In a. sheet feeding machine, valved plungers provided with sheet engaging cups, and means for moving said cups in sheet gripp ng and feeding relation through the movements of said valved plungers.

3. In a sheet feeding machine; a plurality of arms carrying reciprocatory plungers sheet engaging gripper cups on the'latter, and means for moving said cups in sheet en= tudinally in sheet fee means for selectively holding said arms and gaging and feed relation through the movements of said arms and plungers.

4:. In a sheet feeding machine, a plurality of sheet feeding rollers, sheet guiding mechanism therehetwe'en, and means for enjib gagin the sheets to free the same of overturne corners.

5. In a sheet feeding machine, in combination with a pair of sheet 11-5 g and feeding rollers, a pair of winged rollers at the rear of said air of sheet engaging and feeding rollers riven at a greater speed than said rollers and provided with wings arranged to engage and return overturned corners of the sheetsbeing fed.

t. In a sheet feedin machine, a plurality of reciprocatory osc'ating arms, plunger stems carried on thefree' ends of said arms and provided with resilient gripper cups, valves in said plungers, and means for maintaining said plungers and gripper cups in vertical position in the variable positions of said oscillatory feeding arms.

7. In a sheet feeding machine including sheet feeding rolls and guiding mechanim,

dependently of sea means for odily mov ing the same. 7

8. In a sheet feedin an a plurality of pivoted oscillatory eedia arms, plunger stems carried on the free e of said arms and provided with resilient grippers, valved pistons in said pluers, and means for maintaining mid plungers and grippers in vertical position in the variable positions of said oscillatory feeding arms.

9. In a sheet feeding machine, a plunger guide member, a relatively fixed iston therein having a valve, a tubularp unger stem in said guide surrounding said piston, a vacu cup carried by said tubular plunger stem counicating with said valve, and means for opening d closing the latter in initial sheet engaging and feeding operations, respectively.

10; In a sheet feeding machine including sheet. feeding and corner straightening mechanism, oscillatory feeding arms provided with pneumatic sheet feeding grippers, means for movin mid arms longicl relation, and

grippers out of operation independently of said means for longitudinally moving the same. p

11. In a sheet 12:: mace, a plunr guide member, a relatively fixed piston havgulde'surroung said piston, a vacuum sheet gripper carried by said tubular pl ger *stem 'counicating with said so a plurality of oscillatory feeding'armsproi ll) a valve, a tubular plunger stem in said the latter in initial sheet engaging and feeding operations, respectively.

In a sheet feeding machine, sheet receiving and feeding rollers, a plurality of rocking reciprocatory feeder arms, means for operating the latter in successive sheet feeding relation to each other, pneumatic sheet gripper cups carried by said arms, means for operating said rollers and feeding arms, and sheet guiding means between said sheet feeding gripper cups and said sheet receiving and feeding rollers,

13. In a sheet feeding machine, sheet receiving and feeding rollers, a plurality of rocking feeder arms, means for operating the latter in successive sheet feeding relation to each other, means for moving said arms bodily while bein rocked, pneumatic sheet grippers on said arms, means for operating said rollers and feeding arms, and sheet guiding means between said sheet feeding grippers and said sheet receiving and feeding rollers.

14. In a sheet feeding machine, front and rear pairs of sheet feeding rollers, sheet guiding mechanism there-between, means for engaging the upper and lower surfaces of said sheets to free the front portions thereof of any overturned corners, and means in front of said rear air of sheet feeding rollers to engage an return to a straightened position any overturned corners on the rear portion of the sheet as finally fed to the mill rolls.

15. In a sheet feeding machine, the combination with a machine having sheet feed ing mechanism, and oscillatory bodily movable feeding arms provided with sheet engaging grippers; of sheet receiving and guiding mechanism between said sheet feeding mechanism and said sheet engaging grippers, and means for automatically moving said sheet receiving and guiding mechanism to conform to the height of the pile of sheets being fed whereby the uppermost sheet is delivered horizontally therein by said grippers.

16. In a sheet feeding machine, in combination with front and rear pairs of sheet engaging and feeding rollers, a pair of winged rollers at the rear of said front pair of sheet engaging and feeding rollers driven at a greater speed than said rollers and provided with rearwardly inclined wings extendin opposite the direction of rotation and adapted to engage the median portions of the sheets in advance of the sides thereof to engage and return any overturned corhere at the front portions of the sheets as being fed.

17, In a sheet feeding machine, the combination with a machine having sheet feeding smoothing and guiding mechanism, and a plurality of bodily movable oscillatory ing in synchronous feeding arms provided at their ends with pneumatically operated sheet engaging grippers; 'of ad ustable sheet guiding mechanism between said sheet feeding smoothingand guiding mechanism and said sheet feeding arms and grippers, and means for moving and adjusting said sheet guiding "mechanism in accordance with the heiglrt of the.

pile of sheets being fed whereby the upp rmost sheet is delivered therein by said grippers and feeding arms.

18. In a sheet feeding machine, a frame including sheet feeding rolls and bent over corner returning mechanism, a platform including a stack of sheets and sheet follower mechanism, reciprocatory sheet feed-- ing arms including grippers adapted to successively feed said sheets from the top of said stack to said machine sheet feeding rolls, movable sheet guiding mechanism between said sheet feeding rolls and said platform, and connections between said sheet guiding mechanism is moved automatically to a horizontal plane common to the top of the pile as the sheets are fed therefrom by said sheet feeding arms and grippers.

19. In a sheet feeding machine, a machine frame includin sheet feeding and guiding mechanism, a p atform in front of said machine frame including sheet followermechanism, a plurality of sheet feeding arms includin grippers adapted to successively engage t e sheets and feed the same forwardly toward said machine sheet feeding and guiding mechanism, movable sheet guide mem bers between said sheet feeding mechanism and said platform, and connections between said sheet guiding members and said follower mechanism whereby said sheet guiding members are moved and adjusted automaticall to receive the sheets from the top of the pile as fed by said sheet feeding arms and grippers.

20. In a sheet feeding machine, a frame, oscillatory arms adapted to operate insuccessive relation to each other, pneumatically operated sheet engaging and feeding grippers carried by said arms, means for maintaining said grippers in constant parallel relation to each other and in vertical relation to the sheets being fed irrespective of the inclination of said arms, means for operating said arms, a pair of sheet en gagin rollers, sheet guiding means in front of sai rollers adapted to receive the sheets from said sheet grippers, sheet smoothing and guiding means at the rear of said sheet engaging rollers, and means for smoothing said sheets as finally fed into the rolling mill,

21. In a sheet feeding machire, a frame, oscillatory and reciprocatory arms operatrelation to each other, pneumatic sheet e aging and feeding grippers carried by sai arms, means for mainme I mining seidgrippers in constant releiion to the sheets being fed irrespective of the relative positions of said anns, means for operating said oscillatory arms, e pair of 5 sheets engaging rollers, variable sheet guiding means in front of said rollers adaptedb0 receive the sheets as delivered. by said arms from said sheet grippers, sheet smeeihiiig magi giiiqiimg meme M; the rear of said sheet gripping relleis, and means for smoothing W seiii sheets as finally ffidi from said sheetfeenling machine. 'i

in iestimeiiywliereef ll hswe afiixed my signature.

LEUN A. RQDEN. 

